Sweet justice: U.S. lawmakers push to make maple syrup fraud a felony

Canadian syrup producers are licking their lips over news that a group of U.S. lawmakers have proposed a bill that would make it a felony to market a product as maple syrup when it’s not the real thing.

While the problem of syrup fraud does not appear to be as widespread as it is south of the border, Canadian syrup producers say any efforts to rid the industry of inferior products is welcome.

“If you’re producing pure maple syrup, that’s what it should be. No additives, no substitutes,” said Clifford Foster, co-owner of Fosterholm Farms in Pickton, Ont. “Aunt Jemima, we grease the plow with that.”

U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Susan Collins of Maine have introduced a bill called the Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement Act. It would make the fraudulent sale of maple syrup a felony offence punishable by up to five years in prison. Under current law, such a violation is a misdemeanour.

“I have been alarmed by the growing number of individuals and businesses claiming to sell Vermont maple syrup when they are in fact selling an inferior product that is not maple syrup at all,” Leahy said in a statement.

“This is fraud, plain and simple, and it undermines a key part of Vermont’s economy.”

A few weeks ago, a Rhode Island man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Vermont on charges that he sold mislabelled maple syrup. The product was sold in multiple states and online as pure maple syrup but “the substance identified as maple syrup was actually made using cane sugar,” according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont.

Other sweeteners, such as beet-based sugar and high-fructose syrups, also have been used to adulterate maple syrup, studies have shown.

In Canada, Quebec is the largest producer of maple syrup. No one from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers was available to talk Wednesday, but Gary Coppola, president of Great Northern Maple Products in Saint-Honore-de-Shenley, Que., said lots of publicity years ago helped to “squash” the problem of misbranding in this country.

“You might find a farmer here and there trying to cheat,” he said.

Pam Young, manager of the food inspection branch for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, said inspectors pick up samples of maple syrup from store shelves and test them for adulteration.

There have been no violations in the past few years, she said, adding that mislabelling can result in fines and up to two years in jail.

While the problem of misbranding may not be as prevalent in Canada, Bob Jakeman of Jakeman’s Maple Farm in Beachville, Ont., said he’s still glad to see lawmakers south of the border taking the issue of syrup fraud seriously.

“Farmers take a lot of pride in producing a quality product,” he said.